A Semi-analytical Model for Static and Impact Responses of Sandwich Plates on a Solid Half-space

Due to intense use of sandwich structures in civil and aerospace engineering, there is a pressing need to analyze impact effects, which may cause the damage in materials and reduce the structural effectiveness. In this study, an elastic model for static and nonlinear impact responses of a composite sandwich plate on an elastic half-space including the antiplane core effect is developed. The effects of the elastic half-space and the anti-plane core are studied, and the contact force history and maximal deflection are predicted. The predicted non-uniform distribution of transferred force under static load sheds new light on understanding of force action mechanism between the sandwich system and the solid halfspace. The two important impact factors (i.e., the maximal deflection and the peak contact force) provided by this study can be used to determine the damage size and position. Further, the analytical model developed can be served as a basis for optimal design of fullybacked sandwich collision protection systems.